Stolen (Glory) in Seattle

     Okay, by now, all NFL fans have seen the final play of the Monday night game in Seattle where the Seattle Seahawks beat the Green Bay Packers with a "miracle" TD catch by receiver Golden Tate in the back left corner of the end zone on a 4th and 10 play from the GB 24. Seattle rookie quarterback Russell Wilson threw a great pass from the GB 39 with a rusher about to hit him (he may be a real good QB, folks). Tate did his job (more in a minute) and the Packer defensive backs were there. But things went to hell from there. "Replacement" officials or not, this was horrible. I am not going to say that if one of the regular group of officials were covering this play that it would have been called right, ESPECIALLY after going to replay (per requirement for all scoring plays, probably one of the better rule changes in years), but these guys are experienced enough to know what to do.
    Here is the bottom line. Forget the bitching and all that. Sportscenter showed the NFL rules on simultaneous catch (if you didn't see it, go Google it). Forget about it, that rule does NOT apply here. Here is what happened. Tate pushed one of the three GB players down (the NFL admitted this) which SHOULD have gotten a offensive pass interference call. Because the clock had run out and (more importantly) it was 4th down, the game should have been over, and everything that occurred afterwards UNLESS there had also been one of a certain number of defensive penalties called on the Packers (which would have made it offsetting penalties). If so, then there would have been one more untimed play from the same spot. The fact that the side judge, who was only 3-5 yards away from the action did NOT throw the flag for that is inexcusable.
     (Offensive) pass interference (today) is very similar in all levels of football, BUT officials are hesitant to throw a flag on the final (few) play(s) anyway, preferring to let the play go and what happens, happens, unless the infraction is so obvious and/egregious that you have to call it. This was one of those plays and the official blew it. Now, here is what the replay CLEARLY showed, in my opinion. The GB defensive back clearly got up over Tate and the other players who were there, grabbed the ball with BOTH hands, and pulled it to his body. Tate who was going up as the defender was coming down, grabbed at the ball and they both landed struggling for the ball, even while two officials looked down at them before making the call. The Black official who had been on the back line of the end zone, who could not have seen the pass interference made the right call, GB interception and touchback, signaling such with the crossing hands over the head. The aforementioned side judge, a White man who had already failed to throw a flag when he had a perfect view of such, called it a touchdown.
    Okay, this does happen. So what does the referee, another White man do when the replay official buzzes him for a official review (slightly unnecessary since scoring plays are automatically reviewed, remember?)? Instead of going to the end zone and talking to either official who made a call, he goes straight to the review booth, reviews it for 10+ minutes, and without ever indicating what the original call was called it touchdown. Seattle wins. WRONG CALL!!!!
    First, retired NFL referee Gerry Austin (one of the best ever, in my opinion), who ESPN had on call and who reviewed the play (he may have been in Seattle...don't know, don't care) sort of agreed with my assessment above, but he also said that per current NFL rules on replay, the referee (and replay official) could not have overturned a TD ruling due to lack of conclusive evidence. B***S***! The video was conclusive that it was NOT a simultaneous catch and that it was a interception, in my opinion. However, and more importantly, the referee on the field never announced what the original call was. He just took the other White officials call as TD as the call without talking to him OR the Black official who called it the other way beforehand. If he had and had made the original call interception instead, THEN there would have not been conclusive evidence to overturn the call. The referee bowed to the home team (Seattle) and made the call that made them and the home fans happy instead of (making sure he) getting it right. If this has happened on a neutral field or more importantly in Green Bay, exactly the same way, would he had made the same call? I say, probably NOT.
     Still, the NFL's statement was no surprise. The NFL has NEVER (to my knowledge) overturned a result of a game after the fact due to a (any kind of) error by the game officials during such. There is NO (real) appeals process to protest such. Of the major sports, only NASCAR (and other motor sports, I think) has a process where they will overturn a final result after the fact, but that is only because the winning car (and certain others at random) must pass a post-race inspection, in addition to the quick video tape review NASCAR does when the race ends before the winner even gets to Victory Lane (that is race results are UNOFFICIAL for a little bit after the race ends and it says so if you look closely at the results shown right after a race ends!).
     Hockey, football, basketball and baseball has no similar process where they could overturn a result the next day after a review. A written, dry statement is all you get, if that, which may include a apology if a mistake was made (unlikely). Game officials can get cussed out, but their on-field final decision ALWAYS stands and will NEVER be overturned by the league. All players, coaches and teams know this. This is not the WWE, where official decisions can be overturned by the GM (or maybe the referee) right after a match (of course, this is sports ENTERTAINMENT, so (allegedly) all results are scripted anyway right to the end!), but that is rare!
     Green Bay handled the loss well, for the most part. If this does not convince the NFL to make a reasonable deal with the locked out "regular" officials NOW, nothing will. The fans got cheated out of a great final play by these officials. Mistakes can happen, and the rule constraints of the use of instant replay sometimes cannot overturn a bad call on the field. But all calls are only as good as the person(s) making them. If this NFL season wasn't already tainted due to the poor officiating (it is), it certainly is now. Heads need to roll, probably starting with Commissioner Goodell. Considering how the New Orleans bounty-gate situation is playing out and the decisions that he has made in the last few years (I haven't heard of any fines on the NE coach for his shoving incident yet), it may be time for him to go before things get worse. Well, it may already be too late for that. Well, at least my Raiders weren't involved...THIS time!!!
 

September 11, 2001: Eleven years later

Eleven years ago today, this great nation suffered the most horrific attacks against its civilian citizens that we have ever had in our 200-plus year history. Thousands of men, women and children were lost in the attacks upon New York and at the Pentagon just outside of Washington DC that day. Thousands more of our brave citizens have been lost in the days months and years since. These cowardly attacks, done using civilian passenger planes, changed the lives of every American...and perhaps most of the people of the civilized world...forever.        Before this day, Americans believed that they were (mostly) immune to the increasing attacks of terror around the world, mostly done to kill and main (mostly) defenseless civilians for unknown reasons. Even with the incidents in New York and in Oklahoma City in the 1990s, America believed they were isolated from the terror...much like how we were seemingly isolated and "safe" from war in the late 1930s and into the 1940s as war raged across Europe. The attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941, pushed America into World War II full-force, largely with our collective pants down. Only luck, resiliency and tactical errors (Japan thinking that we were beat) might have helped Americans survive that horror and ultimately help our European allies to win World War II nearly 4 years later.        Nearly 70 years later, we, as a nation was hit again, and again with our collective pants down. The differences are simple, yet very shocking. Japan attacked a major military naval base in 1941, with mostly military equipment and personnel there and used military equipment to do it. They didn't deliberately target civilians, though they could have since Honolulu was nearby.        The group of men, funded by evil men from the Middle East, who attacked America deliberately so with suicide attacks against civilian and military targets in 2001, using civilian planes to carry it out and those on board to be their shields, along with the sheer surprise and brazenness of it all. They came from different places, with the goal of breaking America down, and hoping to watch us fold and run. Like Japan, they sought to break our will, sow doubt and confusion and ultimately, total anarchy here. Both in 1941 and 2001, our enemies FAILED to cause any of this.       Why the history lesson? I do this to remind us all how important it is to remember the past, both good and bad, so that we can strive to shape our collective future as well as can be. Time can heal virtually all wounds, but we must all have the prayers and the rememberances and do the good deeds to preserve memories, and to never let them fade away. We do what we must to stay strong, but gentle....Do what you do to remember this day now known as Patriot Day, but more importantly, NEVER ever let the memories or the emotions of this day fade from you. Do this for yourselves and for the younger generation, so that this day is never forgotten. Never let the sacrifices of others be in vain. Never.

Thoughts on the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001

      I just wanted to ask everyone here, on this somber Sunday, before we get excited about watching the NFL or MLB or before we talk about the race in Richmond or the college football games last night or even before we go to church and/or do whatever you plan to do today, September 11, 2011, to take a moment or two to reflect on the events that occurred ten years ago today. Ten years. It seems like a lifetime ago, and in a sense, it has been. I am in a different place, both literally and figuratively, than I was 10 years ago. I am ten years older, maybe a little wiser (I hope), and a little heavier with a few more white hairs on my head and less of other things than I had on September 10, 2001. But even as I sit writing this on the other side of the Earth, I still remember this day like it happened yesterday. This country was changed forever by these events, much like the lives of our grandparents and great-grandparents were changed on December 7, 1941, which ultimately brought us into World War II. Whatever innocence we had, or thought we had up to September 10, 2001, is gone now, never to be recovered. We still struggle with that fallout every day. I remember what it was like to not have to go through TSA checkpoints to get on planes or to be able to carry large drinks from home straight to the plane and even not having to pay for checking baggage on a plane. No more of any of that, unfortunately.
    Those of us who are old enough know where we were and what we were doing on this horrific day when we lost thousands of American citizens, mostly civilians, in New York, Virginia (at the Pentagon) and in Pennsylvania and the thousands more we have lost, directly or indirectly from the war on terror and from the grief of less we all feel every day. We each will remember this day in our own way, in our own style. Allow each other to do that. New memorials are nearly in place now and they will be constant reminders of what we have lost, but they also will remind us of what we have gained. We gained strength and love for each other as Americans. This generation of young(er) Americans now understand better what Pearl Harbor meant and felt like to our grandparents and great-grandparents. We now understand better that the price of freedom is a rather high price. Indeed, it is not paid in one payment 200-plus years, but paid every day in our vigilance and often in the loss of brave folk, both on and off the battlefield. War is hell, without a doubt, but remembering those we lose as a result of such, is no easier.

    I thought that September 11, 2001 would be an “average” September Tuesday, but it wasn't. This day has changed my life forever and my definition of “an average day”. These attacks have changed the lives of every American as well, even for those who were yet to enter this world, like my son and so many other children born on this day and since then. For those of us who (have or used to) work in the travel industry, owners, leaders and employees alike, this day have great professional meaning to us too. We kept things in perspective, and even with dealing with our own grief and pain, we did our jobs the best we could every day since, even with every change the industry withstood, even with every lost job and/or every revenue stream lost.

    We in travel (did and still) do our part to help people travel around the country and around the world, both for business and for leisure. If we hadn’t done our work (even with heavy hearts) like we did, the terrorists would have won. Travel professions do our part to keep America strong, every day and night. Be proud of this, and never forget that, even if no one else ever says so.

     I have traveled around the world and seen a lot of things, both good and bad, in the last ten years and made a few friends, and made some enemies. So be it. First and foremost, I am proud to be an American and proud of my fellow Americans and our country. No matter where I have been, or where I am, or where I lay my head tonight or whom I lay my head next to tonight, tomorrow or whenever, this day will always have deep meaning for me, personally, even more than it had before.

    September 11 already had great personal meaning for me. Those people out there who know me best know what I mean. In the last ten years, that personal meaning has increased to unmeasured levels. That will never change. We know (and will never forget) who many of these people that caused these attacks are. Some are dead, some still hide like the cowards they are. But many of them are still in the shadows, and may always be. Please say a prayer for all for the people who were lost on this tragic day, and on those other dark days and for those brave souls who passed away in the days after, defending our freedom and/or trying to save the lives of fellow citizens, familiar and stranger alike. Say a prayer for all of those people that were left behind, young and old, who have to continue to live life, pick up the pieces, and have to try to be strong in the face of unfathomable grief, both near and far, especially today.
    Say a prayer for those who have had to take the place of those we have lost, both at home and abroad, who are doing the job of defending us and/or supporting these brave men and women, and to those friends and/or family who travel with them and support them unconditionally and/or who must stay behind and keep the faith and the home fires burning. They all willingly sacrifice a lot (more than most of us can know) to do this and we must never forget. I sure don’t and won’t.

    Say a prayer for our leaders and for President Obama, the second President to have to make the tough decisions in this new reality, he who has to send some of us into harm's way even as he tries to bring others home after they have fought to defend our way of life on foreign soil and sand and in proverbial safe harbors at home and around the world for so long after this horrible day. These horrible people that hate us so much for whatever unknown reasons and those who tried UNSUCCESSFULLY to tear this nation down and whom can NEVER understand how and why they failed and why they always will. .

    Say a prayer for the brave men and women who protect us, both at home and on the battlefields around the world, every day and every night at our leaders’ directions. Say a prayer for the brave Navy SEALS who completed the mission to (finally) bring final resolution and true American justice to the mastermind of these horrible acts a few months ago, who was hiding in Pakistan and who finally got what he deserved for what he led others to do. Say a prayer to the families of the brave men who were killed just a few days later in Afghanistan, on a mission to save their brothers from attack by the enemy, as well as for every military man and woman we have lost in these last ten years (and over our nation’s young history) defending our freedom, without hesitation or doubt. Say a prayer for all of their families who (have and always will) support them no matter how things go, good or bad, whether they are living overseas with them or when they can only be with them in spirit as these brave military folk do their work while leaving their families behind.

    We must never forget why these brave volunteers made these choices, knowing what could happen to them in battle or in peace and why they would have it no other way.  Please support President Obama and those who work with and for him as they their best to do what is right for us, pray for them to be as moral and merciful as they can and allow them to know that we, this great nation's citizens, has their back and has our thanks, even if we do not agree with every decision they make or do not make.
       Lastly, always remember that it is the job of all of us, young and old to make sure that the next generation understands what occurred that day, and in the days, months and years that followed, so they understand without question why that this day must NEVER be forgotten by anyone who loves this country and/or who supports what we, as a nation, stands for and has defended to the end for a little more than two and a quarter centuries and what we will always continue to defend with honor, respect, loyalty and dignity, Lord willing, until the day we die. We must never EVER forget this day or what we collectively and individually lost when these buildings fell and the fires raged and the horror threatened to overwhelm us as a result of the cowardly acts of a few. We will honor those we have lost in every prayer, every remembrance, and in everything we do, both large and small, wherever we are, because their sacrifices paid (and continue to pay) the price for the rest of us to live free, to travel near an far, and never be afraid of the past, the present or the future. Thank you to you all. May God Bless the United States of America!

September 11, 2001: Nine years later

    I just wanted to ask everyone here, before things get busy today, to take a moment to reflect on the events that occurred nine years ago today. Nine years, wow, that is a long time. I am in a different place, both literally and figuratively than I was then, but I remember this day like it happened yesterday. This country has been changed forever by these events, much like the lives of our grandparents and great-grandparents were changed on December 7, 1941, which ultimately brought us into World War II, and other similar dark days in our nation's history. You know the dates, so I won't repeat them all here. Whatever innocence we had, or still had even on those other days and up to September 10, 2001, is gone now, never to be recovered. We struggle with that every day.
    Those of us who are old enough know where we were and what we were doing on this day, nine years ago. We each will remember this day in our own way, in our own style. Allow each other to do that. I thought that day would be a average September Tuesday, but it wasn't. This day changed my life forever, and the lives of every American as well, even for those who were yet to enter this world, like my son and so many other children born on this day and after. Since that day, I have been to a lot of places and met a lot of people around the world and seen a lot of things, both good and bad and made some friends, and made some enemies. So be it. No matter where I have been, or where I am, or where I lay my head tonight or next to whom I do such, this day already had great meaning for me personally. The events of nine years ago added a horrible page to such. Those people out there who know me best knows what I mean.
   What almost everyone does not know, outside of close family and friends was that I were also dealing with the aftermath of a personal tragedy at this time as well. I do not watch the movies made about this day (and they were well made movies) because it (still) affects me so much, like almost nothing else I have seen could. Besides, my memories do the job of allowing me to remember just fine. But I am getting off topic, for I write this for a specific reason and it is not about me. 

    Like those other dark tragic dates in our history, this day should and MUST always have great meaning for every American. We MUST remember where we were that day and what we did in the days, weeks, months and years progressing from it, just like that sad day in November nearly five decades ago when we lost a President to a assassin's bullet, or that day in December nearly seven decades ago when we lost so many in a cowardly unprovoked attack in Hawaii that brought us into what we all (still) pray will be the last World War on this planet, and all the other days like them throughout our history where enemies, foreign and domestic chose to attack, hurt and kill our fellow citizens, famous or not, to advance their agendas and/or for whatever reasons that they justified in their own minds.

     We know (and will never forget) who many of these people are, but many of them are still in the shadows, and may always be. Please say a prayer for all for the people who were lost on this tragic day, and on those other dark days and for those brave souls who passed away in the days after, defending our freedom and/or trying to save the lives of fellow citizens, familiar and stranger alike. Say a prayer for all of those people that were left behind, young and old, who have to continue to live life, pick up the pieces, and have to try to be strong in the face of unfathomable grief, both near and far, especially today.
    Say a prayer for those who have had to take the place of those we have lost, both at home and abroad, who are doing the job of defending us and/or supporting these brave men and women, and to those friends and/or family who travel with them and support them unconditionally and/or who must stay behind and keep the faith and the home fires burning. They all willingly sacrifice a lot (more than most of us can know) to do this and we must never forget. I sure don’t and won’t.

    Say a prayer for our leaders and our President, the second one to have to make the tough decisions in this new reality, he who has to send some of us into harm's way even as he tries to bring others home after they have fought to defend our way of life on foreign soil and sand and in proverbial safe harbors at home and around the world for so long after this horrible day. These horrible people that hate us so much for whatever unknown reasons and those who tried UNSUCCESSFULLY to tear this nation down nine years ago and in the days since, can NEVER understand how and why they failed and why they always will in the years to come. Please support President Obama and those who work with and for him as they their best to do what is right for us, pray for them to be as moral and merciful as they can and allow them to know that we, this great nation's citizens has their back and has our thanks, even if we do not agree with every decision they make.
    Let us also say a prayer for our previous President, who had great responsibilities and pressures thrust on him and the rest of our leadership on that September morning when he was visiting schoolchildren in Florida. These were responsibilities that few other Presidents have ever had to bear, and none before in this exact manner. Like him or not, he did help bring us all through a horrible time, kept us together and more importantly, kept this nation safe. While every decision that he made may not have been right, in a legal and/or moral and/or any other sense, he made these decisions with the goal of defending our way of life and took on challenges that few of us would or could take on, most of which with no preparation time at all.
   Let history show the full, true story of his two terms, both good and bad, and let the reader decide for themselves how he and others should be judged on such years from now. Regardless of our own feelings toward him, let us all always give President George W. Bush, his family, and those who worked under him our thanks and our respect for their efforts and their sacrifices for all of those years.

    Lastly, always remember that it is the job of all of us, young and old to make sure that our youngsters who were either too young to understand or were not born yet to help them understand what occurred that day, and in the days, months and years that followed, so they understand without question why that this day must NEVER be forgotten by anyone who loves this country and/or who supports what we, as a nation, stands for and has defended to the end for a little more than two and a quarter centuries and what we will always continue to defend with honor, respect, loyalty and dignity, Lord willing, until the day we die. We must never EVER forget this day or those who were taken from us as a result of the cowardly acts of a few. Thank you.God Bless the United States of America!

I just wanted to ask everyone here, before you get busy today and this weekend, to take a moment to reflect on the events that occurred nine years ago today. Sorry for the length of this post. I will try to be brief. Nine years, wow, that is a long time. I am currently in a different place, both literally and figuratively, than I was back then. Many of us are the same. Yet I, and I am sure, most of us remember this day like it happened yesterday. This country has been changed forever by these events, much like the lives of our grandparents and great-grandparents were changed on December 7, 1941, and other similar dark days in our nation's history. You know the dates, so I won't repeat them all here. Whatever innocence we had, or still had even on those other days and up to September 10, 2001, is gone now, never to be recovered. We struggle with that loss every day.
    Those of us who are old enough know where we were and what we were doing on this day, nine years ago. We each will remember this day in our own way, in our own style. Allow each other to do that. I thought that day would be a average September Tuesday, but it wasn't. This day changed my life forever, and the lives of every American as well, even for those who were yet to enter this world, like my son and so many other children born on this day and after. Since that day, I have been to a lot of places and met a lot of people around the world and seen a lot of things, both good and bad and made some friends, and made some enemies. So be it. No matter where I have been, or where I am, or where I lay my head tonight or next to whom I do such, this day already had great meaning for me personally. The events of nine years ago added a horrible page to such. Those people out there who know me best knows what I mean.
   What almost everyone does not know, outside of close family and friends was that I were also dealing with the aftermath of a personal tragedy at this time as well. I do not (cannot) watch the movies made about this day for very long (and they were well made movies) because the events that are portrayed (still) affects me so much, like almost nothing else I have seen could. Besides, my memories do the job of allowing me to remember this day just fine. Many of us probably can say the same. But I am getting off topic, for I write this for a specific reason and this post is not about me or my feelings, one way or the other.  

    Like those other dark tragic dates in our history, this day should and MUST always have great meaning for every American. We MUST remember where we were that day and what we did in the days, weeks, months and years progressing from it, just like that sad day in November nearly five decades ago when we lost a President to a assassin's bullet, or that day in December nearly seven decades ago when we lost so many in a cowardly unprovoked attack in Hawaii that brought us into what we all (still) pray will be the last World War on this planet, and all the other days like them throughout our history where enemies, foreign and domestic chose to attack, hurt and kill our fellow citizens, famous or not, to advance their agendas and/or for whatever reasons that they justified in their own minds.

     We know (and will never forget) who many of these people are, but many of them are still in the shadows, and may always be. Never let them win, even for a second. Please say a prayer for all for the people who were lost on this tragic day, and on those other dark days and for those brave souls who passed away in the hours and days after, defending our freedom and/or trying to save the lives of their fellow citizens and others, familiar and stranger alike. Say a prayer for all of those people that were left behind, young and old, who have to continue to live life, pick up the pieces, and be strong in the face of the unfathomable grief they face every day, both near and far, especially today.
    Say a prayer for those who have had to take the place of those we have lost, both at home and abroad, who are doing the job of defending us and/or supporting these brave men and women, and to those friends and/or family who travel with them and support them unconditionally and/or who must stay behind and keep the faith and the home fires burning. They all willingly sacrifice a lot (more than most of us can know) to do this and we must never forget. I sure don’t and won’t.

    Say a prayer for our leaders and our President, the second one to have to make the tough decisions in this new reality, he who has to send some of us into harm's way even as he tries to bring others home after they have fought to defend our way of life on foreign soil and sand and in proverbial safe harbors at home and around the world for so long after this horrible day.

      These horrible people who hate us so much and for whatever unknown reasons and those who tried UNSUCCESSFULLY to tear this nation down nine years ago and in the days since, can NEVER understand how and why they failed and why they always will fail in the years to come. Please support President Obama and the Presidents will will follow him in the future as they their best to do what is right for us, pray for them to be as moral and merciful as they can and allow them to know that we, this great nation's citizens has their back and has our thanks, even if we do not agree with every decision they make, which is one of the gifts of freedom.
    Let us also say a prayer for our previous President, who had great responsibilities and pressures thrust on him and the rest of our leadership on that September morning when he was visiting schoolchildren in Florida. These were responsibilities that few other Presidents have ever had to bear, and none before in this exact manner. Like him or not, he did help bring us all through a horrible time, kept us together and more importantly, kept this nation safe. While every decision that he made may not have been right, in a legal and/or moral and/or any other sense, he made these decisions with the goal of defending our way of life and took on challenges that few of us would or could take on, most of which with no preparation time at all.
   Let history show the full, true story of his two terms, both good and bad, and let the reader decide for themselves how he and others should be judged on such years from now. Regardless of our own feelings toward him, let us all always give President George W. Bush, his family, and those who worked under him our thanks and our respect for their efforts and their sacrifices for all of those years.

    Lastly, always remember that it is the job of all of us, young and old to make sure that our youngsters who were either too young to understand or were not born yet to help them understand what occurred that day, and in the days, months and years that followed, so they understand without question why that this day must NEVER be forgotten by anyone who loves this country and/or who supports what we, as a nation, stands for and has defended to the end for a little more than two and a quarter centuries and what we will always continue to defend with honor, respect, loyalty and dignity, Lord willing, until the day we die. We must never EVER forget this day or those who were taken from us as a result of the cowardly acts of a few. Thank you. God Bless the United States of America!